Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

South America Population Pyramid 1979

South America
Afghanistan Africa Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Asia Australia Australia/New Zealand Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Caribbean Central African Republic Central America Central Asia Chad Channel Islands Chile China China, Hong Kong SAR China, Macao SAR Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Dem. People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Eastern Africa Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europe Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latin America and the Caribbean Latvia Least developed countries Lebanon Lesotho Less developed regions Less developed regions, excluding China Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melanesia Mexico Micronesia Micronesia (Fed. States of) Middle Africa Mongolia Montenegro More developed regions Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Africa Northern America Northern Europe Norway Oceania Oman Other non-specified areas Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Polynesia Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Sudan South-Central Asia South-Eastern Asia Southern Africa Southern Asia Southern Europe Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic TFYR Macedonia Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Republic of Tanzania United States Virgin Islands United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Western Africa Western Asia Western Europe Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
1979
Population: 235,280,166

Year

-5 -1   1979  +1 +5

Country

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
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Summary

South America in 1979

As of 1979, South America counted 235,280,167 inhabitants. That is 25.5% more than in 1969, when the population stood at 187,410,526.

With a median age of 20.4 years, South America had a youth dependency ratio of 66.7 and an old-age dependency ratio of 7.2 per 100 people of working age. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.

Share of the population by age group, 1950–2100

Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.

Key indicators for South America
Population
235,280,167
Median age
20.4
0-14 %
38.3%
65+ %
4.2%
Child dependency
66.7
Old-age dependency
7.2
Pyramid shape
Expansive
What is driving the change
Births per woman

The World Bank does not publish this indicator for regions or continents.

Life expectancy at birth

The World Bank does not publish this indicator for regions or continents.

People supported per 100 workers
Dependency ratios, 1950–2100
Children Older adults
20406080
19502100
Migration to and from South America
Where immigrants come from (2024)

12,230,850 immigrants live in South America.

Venezuela6,268,352
Colombia1,317,258
Paraguay587,559
Bolivia561,026
Peru516,754
Where emigrants live (2024)

21,233,109 people born in South America live in other countries.

United States of America4,112,869
Spain3,246,905
Colombia2,951,953
Peru1,719,519
Argentina1,550,287
Explore
Immigration statistics

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

Frequently asked questions about South America's population
How many people lived in South America in 1979?
In 1979, South America's population was 235,280,167.
How old is the population of South America?
South America's median age is 20.4 years.
What share of South America's population is over 65 or under 15?
In South America, 38.3% of people are under 15 and 4.2% are 65 or older.
What shape is South America's population pyramid, and what does it mean?
South America's pyramid is expansive — broad at the bottom, the signature of high birth rates and a growing population.

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List of countries ordered by their population size
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Population Growth Map per Year